Brake arrangement for inboard railway car trucks



April 7, 1953 J. c. SE'ITLES 2,633,936

BRAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR lNBOARD RAILWAY GAR TRUCKS Filed July 15, 194'? 3 Sheets-Sheet l l l O I m v m Zhmentor r J. c. SETTLES, LL.

attorney pril 7, 9 53 J. c. sEmEs 2,633 93 BRAKE ARRA NGEMENT FOR lNBOARD RAILWAY CAR TRUCKS Filed July 15, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 2 N 0 N L IO m; 4 Zhwentor J. c. SETTLES,

J. C. SETTLES April 7, 1953 BRAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR lNBOARD RAILWAY CAR TRUCKS s sheets-sheet 5 Filed July 15, 1947 3nnentor J c. SETTLE-ZS,

attorne Patented Apr. 7, 1953 BRAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR INBOARD RAILWAY CAR TRUCKS James C. Settles, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus,

Ohio

Application July 15, 1947, Serial No. 761,037

Claims.

This invention relates to inboard railway car trucks, that is, to car trucks in which the side frames are positioned inwardly of the supporting wheels; and the primary object of the invention is to provide a truck of this type having side frames arranged for single standard type brakes withcertain parts passing under the inclined tension members of the frames.

Another object is to provide a truck of this character in which the body brake is connected to the medial portion of a horizontal lever which is slidably supported by the side frames and is operatively connected at its ends to the brakes for the wheels of the truck.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the the axles l of the wheels 8 are journalled. Each side frame preferably includes a compression member 9 and tension members lil, the latter converging downwardly and merging with a spring seat member II. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the medial portions of the side frames are widened, and the ends thereof are arranged inwardly of the wheels.

Each side frame has a conventional bolster opening, and a spring plank I3 extends into the opening. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the spring plank extends entirely through the bolster opening of each side frame and projects beyond the outboard side thereof, and the plank may be interlocked with the spring seat member by a spud and hole connection, indicated t 14.

\ Springs l5 rest on the spring plank and support a bolster l6 having upstanding portions i! at its ends, extending through vertical windows l8 in the compression members of the side frames. The upstanding members are provided with damping wedges l9 which frictionally engage the vertical surfaces 0f the bolster of the side frames.

guide columns The parts 4, l3, l5, l6 and [9 may be similar in construction to those parts in an application which I filed jointly with L. E. Furniss, Serial No. 761,938, on July 15, 1947, now Patent No. 2,594,079, dated April 22, 1952..

In accordance with the present invention, the body brake mechanism is connected to the medial portion 2! of a horizontal beam 22,, slidably mounted in horizontal slots-23 of the side frames. The end portions of the lever terminate in trunnions 24 from which verticallevers 25 are pivotally suspended. The medial portions of these levers are pivotally connected at 26 to brake shoes 2'! arranged to engage the treads of certain of the wheels 8 at opposite side ofthe truck.

The lower ends of the levers 25 are connected by a transverse horizontal tie rod 28, positioned beneath one of the inclined tension members ll) of the opposed side frames.

Safety straps 29 are secured to the tension member, as indicated at 30, and as the tie rod extends through them, they will prevent the tie rod from falling in the event of'breakage of parts.

A spreader link 30a extends lengthwise at each side of the truck and is provided at one end with a plurality of apertures 3|, either of which is designed to receive an end of thetie rod 28 to facilitate adjustment.

The link extends through a safety hanger bracket 32 which may be secured to the spring plank and spring seat member of each side frame, as indicated in Fig. 3.

At the dead end of each braking system, at each side of the truck, the side frame is provided with an integral bracket 33 having a series of holes 35, any one of which may receive a retaining pin 35 from which a lever 36 is pivotally suspended at each side of the truck. The levers 36 are pivotally connected at their medial portions, as indicated at 3?, to brake shoes 38. which engage the treads of the other wheels at opposite sides of the truck, and the levers36 have their lower ends connected to the ends of a horizontal tie rod 39 which extends through safety hanger brackets it.

In operating such brake arrangement, a pull at 2i from the body brake is equally divided between the tops of the two vertical live levers 25 at opposite sides of the truck. This pull causes the levers 25 to rotate in a clockwise direction, thereby moving the brake shoes 21 against a pair of oppositely disposed wheels of the truck. After any initial clearance between the shoe and wheel has been taken up as above, the'levers 25 rotate about the pinned connections 26, and due to this rotatio'n, force spreader links Sta-toward the opposite 3 end of the truck. This motion of the links 30 rotates levers 36 at the dead end in a. clockwise direction about the pins 35 and thereby forces the shoes 38 at the dead end against the adjacent wheels, thus applying the brake.

As the tie rods 28 and 39 extend across the truck between the lower ends of the; opposite vertical levers, they will equalize, between the two sides of the truck, the forces which act in a direction across the truck due to the shoes being forced against the coned tread of the wheels. Owing to the fact that the angle of coning on each Wheel tread is slight, the force which it produces is also small, but this force would tend to make-the; shoesv move outwardly on the wheel treads when the brakes were applied, if the tie rods were not present. This movement might become appreciable straps 29, 32iand'4il prevent the links 30a or the tie rods from fallingon the rails in case of breakage of some part which normally supportsthe links and tierods;

As the horizontal lever 221s directly supported by thesideframes, it can form a support for the live: end' portion ofthebraking system at each sideof'the: truck: The dead end of the brake systems is supportedlthrough the pinned connec tions 35.

From the foregoing, it is :believed the cnstruction, operation and-advantages of the invention may be readily understood; and I'amaware that changes may bemade in the details disclosed Without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the-following claims.

What I claim and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is:

LA brake rigging fora four-wheel railway car truck comprising, wheel supported axles having journals inboard'of the wheels, two truss type side frames with ends thereof mounted'directly: on said journals inboard of the wheels, a compression member on each side-frame atension-member oneaeh side frame including-portions inclined downwardly from ends of the compression member, said compression members each having; aslot therein, a horizontallydisposed brake actuating beam of greater length than the span between the side frames extending through said slots, verticallevers pivotally connected to the ends of said beam outboard of said side frames depending from the ends of said beam and'supported thereby, brake shoes pivotally connected to medial portions of said levers engageable with two wheels of the truck, a tie rod'of greater length than the span between the side frames extending transverselyof the truck under inclined portions ofthe tension members and pivotally connected to lower. ends of said vertical levers, spreader links arranged at opposite sides of the truck each pivotally con nectedv to an end of'said tie-rod and each pivotally connected to a lower end of one ofsaid vertical levers, additional vertically disposed levers having their. upper ends pivotally connected to the respective compression members at outboard sides thereof;,a second tie rod' of greater length, thanithe; pan between the :side frames extending transversely of the truck under other inclined. p0rtions;-;of the tension members and; pivotally connected tOi-OEhBI endsofthe preader linksgandz pivotally; connected. tO'JIQWGZfl ends of the second levers, and brake shoes pivotally connected to the medial portions of the second levers engageable with the other two wheels of the truck.

2. A brake rigging for a four-wheel railway car truck comprising, wheel supported axles, a pair, of truss typeside frames with ends thereof mounted directly on said axles inboard of the Wheels, a compression member forming a part of each side frame, a spring seat on each side frame, downwardly converging tension members supporting said spring seat, a horizontally disposed brake beam of greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truck overlying and resting on said compression members, vertical levers pivotally connected' to end-s of said beam outboard of the respective side frames and depending therefrom, brake shoes pivotally connected to medial portions of said levers engageable with two wheels-of the truck, spreader links arranged at opposite sides ofthev truck each connected'at one end to a lower end of one of said vertical levers, additional vertically disposed levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said compression members at outboard sides thereof, means pivotally connecting lower ends of the second levers to the ends of the spreader links, said spreader links extending horizontally along outboard sides of the spring seats and below upper surfaces thereon and brake shoes pivotally connected to medial portions of the second levers engageable with the other two Wheels of the truck.

3. A brake rigging in combination with a fourwheel railway car truck comprising, two wheel supported axles having journals inboard of the wheels, a pair of truss type side frames 'with ends thereof mounted directly on said journals inboard of the wheels, a compression member forming a part of each side frame, a spring seat on each side frame, tension members on each side frame inclined downwardly from the ends thereof and connected to opposite ends of the spring seat, guide columns connecting the compression member, and tension member of each side frame and providing a bolster opening therebetween in each side frame; a horizontally disposed brake beam of .greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truckoverlying and resting on said compression members at one side of the bolster, vertical levers pivotally connected to ends of said beam outboard of said side frames and depending therefrom, brake shoes pivotally connected to medial portions-of said brake levers engageable with two wheels of the truck,- a tie rodof greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truck under the inclined tension members of opposite side frames and through openings in lower ends of said vertical levers, spreader links arranged at opposite sides of the truck pivotally connected to the ends of said tie rod and to said levers, additional vertically disposed levers having their upper ends pivotally connected to said compression members at outboard sides thereof, a second tie rod of greater length than the sp n between the side frames extending transversely of the truck under the other inclined tension members and through openings in lower ends of the second levers, means pivotally connecting other ends of the spreader links to ,the second tierod and to lower'ends of the second levers, said spreader linksrextendinghoi izontally along outboard sides of the spring seats at opposite sides of the truck and below the bolster openings, and brake shoes connected to medial portions of the second levers engageable with the other two Wheels of the truck.

4. A brake rigging for a four-wheel railway car truck comprising, two wheel supported axles having journals inboard of the wheels, truss type side frames with ends thereof mounted directly on said journals inboard of the wheels, a compression member forming a part of each side frame, tension members on each side frame inclined downwardly from the ends, a horizontally disposed brake beam of greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truck overlying and resting on said compression members, vertical brake levers pivotally connected to ends of said beam outboard of said side frames and depending therefrom, brake shoes pivotally connected to medial portions of said brake levers engageable with two wheels of the truck, a tie rod of greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truck under the inclined tension members of opposite side frames and through openings in lower ends of said vertical brake levers, spreader links arranged at opposite sides of the truck pivotally connected to the ends of said tie rod and to the lower ends of said levers, additional vertically disposed brake levers having their upper ends pivotally connected to said compression members at outboard sides thereof, a second tie rod of greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truck under the other inclined tension members and through openings in lower ends of the second brake levers, means pivotally connecting other ends of the spreader links to the second tie rod and to lower ends of the second brake levers, said spreader links extending horizontally along the outboard sides of the side frames, brake shoes connected to medial portions of the second brake levers engageable with the other two wheels of the truck, and safety hanger brackets carried by the tension members of the side frames through which the tie rods extend.

5. A brake rigging for a four-wheel railway car truck comprising, two wheel supported axles having journals thereon inboard of the wheels, 2. pair of truss type side frames with ends thereof mounted directly on said journals inboard of the wheels, a compression member forming a part of each side frame, a spring seat on each side 1 frame, tension members on each side frame inclined downwardly from the ends'thereof and connected to opposite ends of the spring seat,

guide columns connecting the compression member and the tension members of each side frame and providing a bolster opening therebetween in each side frame, a horizontally disposed beam of greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truck overlying and resting on said compression members at one side of the bolster, vertical levers pivotally connected to ends of said beam outboard of said side frames and depending therefrom at one side of the bolster openings, brake shoes pivotally connected to medial portions of said brake levers engaging with two wheels of the truck, a tie rod of greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truck under the inclined tension member of opposite side frames and pivotally connected to lower ends of said vertical levers, spreader links arranged at opposite sides of the truck pivotally connected to the lower ends of said levers and extending horizontally along outboard sides of the spring seats below said bolster openings, additional vertically disposed levers having their upper ends pivotally connected to said compression members at outboard sides thereof and depending along other sides of the bolster openings, a second tie rod of greater length than the span between the side frames extending transversely of the truck under other inclined tension members of opposite side frames and pivotally connected to the lower ends of the second levers, means pivotally connecting other ends of the spreader links to the lower ends of the second levers, and brake shoes connected to the medial portions of the second levers engageable with the other two wheels of the truck.

JAMES C. SETTLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this, patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 737,713 Curtus Sept 1, 1903 854,449 Austin May 21, 1907 373,459 Rushton .4 Dec. 10, 1907 1,256,592 Pratt Feb. 19, 1918 1,578,301 Walker Mar. 30, 1926 1,618,706 Harris Feb. 22, 1927 2,077,547 Busse Apr. 20, 1937 2,422,004 Flesch June 10, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,512 Australia Mar. 27, 1928 

